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Township of Union, PA
Berks County
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Code
New Laws (4) Index
The Township adopts this article for the following purposes:
A. 
To provide an optional economic approach to community development with provisions to permit more efficient utilization of land and of public services.
B. 
To provide areas of the Township which permit mobile homes, mobile home lots and/or mobile home parks.
C. 
To provide design and development standards in order to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the persons residing within, or adjacent to, mobile home parks.
A. 
Eligibility.
(1) 
Mobile home parks are permitted in the Heavy Industrial (HI) and the Quarry/Landfill (Q/L) zoning districts.
(2) 
The mobile home park shall consist of a minimum contiguous land area of 10 acres. The land area under consideration should not include any portion of land located within the street right-of-way and land that has been previously developed. The area shall be considered contiguous if it is divided by an existing street not exceeding 60 feet in ultimate right-of-way.
(3) 
The mobile home park shall be served by a public water supply system and public sewage disposal system, approved by the appropriate state agencies, and UTMA, and shall be constructed and certified operational by the appropriate authorities before the occupancy permits are issued.
(4) 
A minimum of 40% of the gross tract area of the mobile home park shall be set aside as common open space. The location, character, management and utilization of the common open space shall comply with all applicable specifications concerning open space.
B. 
Design standards.
(1) 
The mobile home park shall be designed with regard to the topographic and natural features of the site. All natural features (lakes, streams, topsoil, knolls, basins, trees and shrubs) should be preserved and incorporated into the final landscaping whenever possible and desirable. The finished topography shall adequately facilitate the mobile home park without excessive earthmoving and neglect for the natural amenities.
(2) 
The mobile home park shall not exceed four dwelling units per gross acre.
(3) 
The following maximum and minimum dimensional requirements shall apply to the mobile home parks and to the type of mobile home:
[Amended 3-21-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-01]
Minimum Regulations
Single-Wide Units Less Than 61 Feet
Single-Wide Units Greater Than 61 Feet
More Than Single-Wide Units
Lot area
5,000 square feet
5,500 square feet
10,000 square feet
Lot width
50 feet
50 feet
70 feet
Building setback
Interior streets
20 feet
20 feet
20 feet
Exterior streets
100 feet
100 feet
100 feet
Rear yard
15 feet
15 feet
15 feet
Side yard (each)
10 feet
10 feet
10 feet
Maximum Regulations
Single-Wide Units Less Than 61 Feet
Single-Wide Units Greater Than 61 Feet
More Than Single-Wide Units
Building coverage
30%
30%
30%
Woodland extraction
60%
60%
60%
(4) 
In addition to the bulk regulations listed above, the following provisions shall apply:
(a) 
No mobile home, accessory structure or common open space shall be located closer than 100 feet to the ultimate right-of-way of abutting public streets and 100 feet to the rear or side property lines.
(b) 
No structure shall be constructed on or within 50 feet of any of the Environmental Protection Overlay Districts identified under Article XII of this chapter.
(c) 
No more than one mobile home shall be placed on a mobile home lot, and such mobile home shall be occupied by not more than a single family.
C. 
Development standards.
(1) 
The mobile home park shall provide an evergreen planting screen along the property line at the periphery of the development to protect the privacy of adjacent residents.
(2) 
No part of a mobile home park shall be used for nonresidential purposes, except common open space shall be used for the pleasure and recreation of the park residents, an office may be used for the park management, necessary utility structures, common laundry facilities, and necessary buildings for the storage of maintenance equipment.
(3) 
There shall be at least one street in the park which is circumferential and from which lesser streets shall turn out so as to provide direct access to each lot and to each common open space of the tract. All streets shall be designed and constructed to all applicable Township specifications.
(4) 
All entrances shall conform to the standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and, when the entrance is from a state road, shall be approved by it. When the entrance is from a Township road, it shall be approved by the Township Engineer. The entrances shall take into account the traffic on the public street and that to be generated by the park residents. Acceleration and deceleration lanes may be required as well as two-lane entrances and two-lane exits.
(5) 
A minimum of two off-street parking spaces measuring 10 feet by 20 feet shall be provided for each mobile home lot. No on-street parking shall be permitted within the park.
(6) 
Each mobile home space shall be provided with a hard-surfaced mobile home stand providing a foundation wall and/or footing that will not heave, shift, settle or move due to frost action, inadequate drainage, vibration or other forces.
(7) 
All mobile homes shall be located, erected and anchored in accordance with all applicable standards and provisions specified in the Union Township Building Code and/or the manufacturers' specifications.
(8) 
Each mobile home stand shall be equipped with utility connections. For reasons of safety, the space between the mobile home stand and mobile home floor shall be permanently enclosed to prevent unauthorized entry and to conceal all supports and utility connections. Each stand shall be located at such elevation, distance and angle in relation to the access street and mobile home accessory that the placement and removal of the mobile home is practical.
(9) 
The area between the ground level and the perimeter of the mobile shall be enclosed by means of a suitable skirting.
(10) 
Every mobile home and open space areas shall have access to an improved street in the mobile home park in accordance with Chapter 172, Subdivision and Land Development.
(11) 
Developers of mobile home parks will be required to comply with Code of Union Township, except as follows. No mobile home shall be permitted in the mobile home park which fails to meet the standards of the Building Code of Union Township. In case regulations herein described conflict with those of the Building Code of Union Township, these regulations shall govern.
All applications to the Township for a mobile home park shall be subject to all applicable review procedures for subdivision and land development and shall be subject to the appropriate fees established by resolution by the Township Board of Supervisors.